Yamamoto was largely self-taught as a pianist, although he did have piano lessons as a child.He attended Nihon University.As a student there, he played professionally, first as an accompanist to pop singer Micky Curtis; they toured Europe in 1967.In 1974, he became house pianist at Misty, a Tokyo jazz club.He also made his recording debut as leader that year.He played major international festivals in the late 1970s.He also "lived in New York for a year, when he performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones, and Sonny Stitt, among others."